


penance

by snottygrrl



Category: Merlin (BBC)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-10-21
Updated: 2009-10-21
Packaged: 2017-10-12 23:55:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/130548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snottygrrl/pseuds/snottygrrl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>in which Arthur is an utter prat</p>
            </blockquote>





	penance

**Author's Note:**

> **warnings:** established relationship, modern au, flangst, grammar abuse  
>  **disclaimer:** This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by the BBC and Shine. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.  
>  This author is not responsible for underage readers. Please observe the ratings, warnings, and age of legal consent for your country.  
>  **author's notes:** written in response to [](http://phenix-tears.livejournal.com/profile)[**phenix_tears**](http://phenix-tears.livejournal.com/)' answer to my [never will i ever meme-age](http://snottygrrl.livejournal.com/380678.html?thread=%203976966#t3976966). er, it kind of got a bit out of control.

"I _hate_ it when you act like this. Like you're some sort of a prince or something and whatever you want is more important than anything the rest of us peasants might need," yells Merlin.

Arthur rolls his eyes and responds, "And sometimes I think you just love being dramatic. So I had to work late, it’s not a big deal."

"Christ, Arthur, you are such a prat!" The front door slams behind Merlin.

Arthur sighs into the blessed quiet. It'd been a long and trying day even before his fight with Merlin. There'd been a misunderstanding at work and now one of their key clients is upset. An emergency meeting had been called late in the afternoon; it'd gone on forever. Arthur hadn't wanted to stay to finish up the crucial paperwork. His boss hadn't exactly given him a choice. And sure, the result is that he's home more than two hours late; however, Merlin's perfectly aware that this kind of thing happens now and again at his job. It's not like they had any plans for the evening. It's a Tuesday for fuck sake.

Besides, Arthur hadn't expected that moving in with Merlin would mean he'd gain a _little woman_ that he'd have to report his whereabouts to constantly. And, okay, perhaps he shouldn't have worded it _quite_ that way to Merlin and maybe that's actually a bit of an over reaction, anyway and he probably _should_ have called to let Merlin know, but Christ, they've only been living together for just under three weeks and a bloke deserves a little leeway to get used to a new situation, right?

Arthur's only just now beginning to realise how intertwined his life is with Merlin's; how much he wants it to be that way and how devastated he'd be if he lost that. Morgana's always said he's a bit slow and though he'd never admit it, sometimes he has to agree. After all it's taken him almost a year to figure _that_ out.

Breaking off from his inner rant, Arthur stops to calculate exactly how long he and Merlin have been together. It must be nearly a year, he thinks, because the Hallowe'en fancy dress party had been their third official date. They'd gone out the Saturday before that, but their first date had been earlier that week at that little wine bar on Cranbourn, the Cork & Bottle. So, yes, about a year, almost to the ...

"FUCK!" Arthur says to the empty flat, and buries his face in his hands with the realisation that it's their one-year anniversary. He moves into the dining room to find the remains of what looks like it was meant to be a romantic dinner for two and feels his dread grow. Merlin, Merlin who hardly _ever_ cooks, had made an anniversary dinner and Arthur had come home hours late, completely oblivious to the significance of the day.

The kitchen is a complete disaster area. Merlin usually makes a mess when he cooks, but the fact that Arthur arrived so late means that there are pots of overcooked food on the stove, two shrivelled steaks in the oven and what looks to have been a lovely salad, soggy and scattered across the lino where Merlin must have hurled it in frustration.

Arthur leaves six increasingly desperate apologies on Merlin's mobile over the next hour and sends ten texts about why he loves him. By the time he hears the front door open, he's rubbished all the ruined food, mopped the oil and vinegar off of the floor and is just finishing up with washing the dishes.

Merlin pads into the kitchen and sets a bag of Indian take away on the counter. "I'm still mad at you, you know," he says.

"I know," Arthur acknowledges quickly. "I deserve it. I'm an utter prat." The silence stretches uncomfortably as Merlin still refuses to look at him. "But I'm a prat who's very sorry and who'll do anything to make it up to you." There's desperation in his voice and Arthur doesn't care. "Please, Merlin."

"Clotpole," Merlin murmurs and finally turns towards him.

His eyes are red-rimmed and before Arthur's even registered it, he's taken three long strides and wrapped Merlin in his arms. It's like hugging a waxworks, all stiff and unyielding until Arthur whispers another wretched "Please." and then Merlin's hands come up to fist in the back of Arthur's shirt.

Arthur lets out a tiny sob of relief and pulls Merlin even closer. "Love you," he breathes. "Love you so much."

~fin


End file.
